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Where Can You Get A Wooden Ladder Anymore?

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Not Very Many Places

FOR THE FIRST 100 YEARS all the fire departments had specially-built ladders that could withstand the rough usage and brutal conditions they were used under.  In fact, all ladders used by everybody, painters, construction crews, burglars, were made of wood because that was the only suitable material that would work.

But in the late 1940's – early 50's availability and affordability of aluminum led that medium to start being used for ladder construction.  It is so much lighter and easier to carry and set up that there's no thought of staying with wood.

Gradually in the 1950's heavy-duty aluminum ladders developed for fire service use started taking over the ladder beds of firetrucks everywhere and by the end of the 1960's the wooden jobs had virtually disappeared.  But not in San Francisco and a handful of other West Coast cities.

The Golden Gate City is one of the few remaining fire departments in America that still uses wooden ladders and they are adamant about staying with them.  It's not a blind adherence to tradition that keeps those 400-lb. beauties on the ladder racks, but what they feel are necessities due to their unique geographical situation.  Basically it's the hillside construction throughout the city that leaves electric lines in the way of ladder-raising coupled with the off-shore winds that frequently whip through the streets and can easily blow over an aluminum ladder no matter how sturdily it's built.  Once a wooden ladder is in place, it stays there.

There are twelve other FD's that use wood, 3 of them in the San Francisco Bay area, 8 in Los Angeles County plus the City, and Bellevue, Washington.

So where does San Francisco go to buy their ladders?  They do what they've always done….  they make them themselves.  In their dedicated ladder shop where skilled craftsmen both make and repair the several hundred ladders in the fleet.  And that brings us up to today's treat, a video visit to the country's last wooden ladder shop:

 

Inside the Ladder Shop at the San Francisco Fire Department from ASK Media Productions on Vimeo.

Did you catch that statement in the early part of the video where they tell us that their timbers are aged for 15 years?

Cities currently using wood: San Francisco, Oakland, Hayward, Alameda County, San Mateo, all in the Bay Area, plus Los Angeles City, Los Angeles County, Glendale, Pasadena, West Covina, Montebello, Arcadia, all in Los Angeles County, and Bellevue, Washington.

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Posted by on May 15, 2013 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Fire-ology, history, Videos, You Don't Say • Tagged: ,

Money For New Fireboat Goes Down the Drain

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Bumbling Bureaucrats Botch the Bidding Process

THE SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT has lost their $7.8 million federal grant for a new "super fireboat" because the city's agency responsible for the design, applications, and bidding process couldn't get the project going before the expiration date.  It would have been the FD's first new fireboat in 50 years.

What it might have looked like  (Jenson Maritime image)

The San Francisco Chronicle reported today:

It all began in late 2009 when the Federal Emergency Management Agency tentatively awarded the city a port security grant for a new boat — provided it got some matching funds.

It wasn’t until January 2011, however, that the feds signed off on the city’s request to use a Chevron grant to help cover the costs. The catch was that, by then, the Fire Department had to have the boat built and ready to go within 2½ years.

The first step was getting a design, a process that apparently had to be aborted when one of the bidders objected to the criteria used to award the contract. It took months to get a new $400,000 contract in place. Then the construction bids went out. But we’re told more undisclosed problems prompted the city to toss out the two bids submitted, and a second round was ordered in February. Recently the new proposals came in, and the winner reportedly came in at $12 million.

The problem: Now there’s no way the 90-foot "super pumper’’ can be built by the end of next month to meet the federal deadline.

"It’s just a huge disappointment," said Fire Commission member Steve Nakajo.

Read the story and more details HERE.

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Posted by on May 15, 2013 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, News • Tagged: , ,

“Long-nosing” … a practice lost to technology

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AVL: Taking the fun out of being "almost there"

The first generation of mobile data computers required the officer or operator to push a button to indicate status of the company:

Enroute, On Scene, Available On Radio (AOR), Available In Quarters (AIQ)

(Clark Martin photo via Chris Fox)

There was a shock of recognition while visiting a San Francisco fire station. A large sign on the alarm room door asked "R U AIQ?"  – I knew exactly what it meant.

Your location was identified by the engine company first due district that was entered by the company officer. The computer-aided dispatch (CAD) program would send the nearest units based on their engine first due location.

"I AM CLOSER"

Some departments would experience a lot of radio chatter when a potential working fire was dispatched. Companies not assigned to the incident would announce that they were closer to the incident than the company assigned.

The MDTs reduced radio chatter. But not the inherent desire to go where the action is.

It probably took 90 seconds for a firefighter to figure out how to manipulate the first MDT to get on the call by updating their location well before they were in that district.

I remember running to the EMS supervisor buggy after hearing a first due engine reporting "smoke in the sky" as they pulled out of their house. I quickly changed my status from AIQ at 14 to AOR in 32 – while sitting on 14's front ramp. Just in time to be part of a second alarm assignment to a commercial fire.

In that era, dispatch protocol assigned one ems supervisor to second alarm structure fires. One of the few opportunities to smell smoke. I ran the rehab sector.

It did not always work to your favor.

Central Library Fire

Los Angeles had a major emergency at the Central Library. Dispatched at 10:52 am, the April 29, 1986, fire was not declared under control until 6:30 pm.

One of the engine companies that was on the street but not assigned to the incident went AOR in Station 3's district, the first due company to the fire.

It was quite a long-nosed stretch, as they would need to pass two fire stations before entering 3's district.

As soon as the officer entered that they were AOR in district 03 they were dispatched … to a medical emergency two blocks from the library fire. First of many ems first-responder runs for that company all around the library fire.

Updated Every 10 Seconds

The Houston Fire Department was an early adopter of Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) technology and linking unit coordinates with the CAD  and digitized mapping software. It would not send a fire company on moderate-to-minor ems incidents if an ambulance would arrive first. If the ambulance would arrive two or more minutes after the nearest fire company, the fire company would be dispatched to provide medical first response.

End of first due districts?

Fifty years ago most fire companies would rarely travel beyond their third due district – the geographical area where they would be the third arriving engine if all units were in their quarters.

Today fire companies are on the road more, travelling to farther places and engaged in a wider variety of activities. What used to be their exclusive turf is handled by other companies because the first due engine is on a medical assist or hazardous condition investigation.

What does that mean when considering area familiarization?

Anyone developed a way to "long-nose" an AVL system?

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on January 22, 2013 • Filed under: Dispatch & Communications, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Technology & Communications, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Seasons Greetings from San Francisco

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Fire Station 13

Posted by Willa Ortega on FaceBook.

"Props to Larry, Jay, and a few other elves. We plan to go bigger next year."

The station is located at 530 Sansome St. in the Financial District and houses Engine 13, Truck 13, Rescue Captain 1, Attack Hose Tender 13, CO2 unit and Light Tower Unit.

The station also has a Henri Marie-Rose copper sculpture:

Details on the art HERE.

Attack Hose Tender

A Milton Yuen photo from a 1999 buff site:

Three identical Attack Hose Tenders 7, 13 and 21 are on 1974 Ford C-850 chassis powered by Caterpillar 3208 Diesel engines with body work by Crown Coach and equipped with 54ft. Pitman Squrt water towers. HT-7 is pictured.
 
Carbon Dioxide Unit
 

 
posted by Rick256Land
 
Tip of the helmet to Justin Schorr.
 
Mike "FossilMedic" Ward
Posted by on December 24, 2012 • Filed under: EMS Topics, Fire Rescue Topics, Urban Commander, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

San Fran. Pier Fire Goes Four Alarms

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Pier 29 Will Host America's Cup Office Space

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, FIREFIGHTERS WORKED a 4-alarm fire on the Embarcadero Wednesday afternoon.  The blaze heavily damaged Pier 29 which is currently being renovated for use by the upcoming America's Cup yacht race next year.

CBS

San Jose Mercury-News

There was construction activity going on at the time of the fire which was reported at 1:50 pm Pacific, but it is not yet known where and how the fire started.  So far, it is not considered suspicious.

The bulkhead building seen in this earlier Google Street View
was built in 1915 and is part of the cultural landmark area
of the San Francisco waterfront.

The fire will not delay preparations for the upcoming yachting event due to begin occupancy in March 2013.  The Pier 29 building will only be used for extra office space and some spectator services.  The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said three-quarters of the front section of the nearly century-old building was destroyed. But crews stopped the blaze's advance before it reached the rear portion or any adjacent structures on the triangular pier that juts into the water at the foot of Telegraph Hill.

The blaze apparently broke out in the front of the structure and quickly spread to the roof, Hayes-White said. Firefighters attacked it with hoses from all sides of the building, using trucks on the street and a fireboat in the bay, avoiding the roof as much as possible for fear of it collapsing. It took until 3:30 p.m. for firefighters to contain the blaze.

As the fire hit its peak, the massive Pier 29 sign hanging over the arched entrance to the building crashed to the ground, followed a few minutes later by another chunk of concrete from the entrance.

KPIX-TV has some good fire footage in this video report:

 

The Google Satellite view seen above shows the Pier 29 entrance in the lower left of the image.  The long shed structure to the right of it is Pier 27 which will be the main occupancy for the race headquarters.  All of the yachts will be docked there and a 10,000-seat grandstand is being constructed where spectators can view the starting line for each day's leg of the race.

America's Cup 2013 WEBSITE.

Aerial view of the distinctive Pier 27 shed where
the main activities of the America's Cup will
be centered next year.  ACEA photo

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Posted by on June 21, 2012 • Filed under: fire, Fires, Videos • Tagged: , , ,

Court Orders San Fran. Fire Chief’s Salary Garnisheed For Failure to Pay Spousal Support

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Stopped Making Payments When Hubby Went to Jail

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, FIRE CHIEF Joanne Hayes-White has been having difficulties with her ex-husband whom she divorced three years ago.  Following their 2009 split, she has been paying $3,300 a month from her $302,000 salary for alimony.  But she recently stopped after her ex went to jail leaving her in sole charge of their three children.

Chief Hayes-White  (OpenSF image)

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

Hayes-White says she stopped paying support about 14 months ago, after an incident in which her ex-hubby, Robert "Sean" White, grabbed and choked one of their sons while in a booze-fueled rage.  In December, he pleaded no contest in San Mateo County Superior Court to a misdemeanor charge of child endangerment and cruelty. He is serving his sentence on a county sheriff's work detail and living in a rehab house.

Last week, White went to San Francisco Superior Court demanding that the chief resume the spousal support she was ordered to pay when the couple divorced in 2009.  On Friday, Judge Ron Albers signed an order to start deducting the payments from her $302,000 annual salary, though it does not appear to cover the more than $40,000 in backlogged payments.

In an interview, Hayes-White said she had stopped making the spousal payments because of the growing costs she has incurred raising their children.

The chief also says White has not fully lived up to his end of their divorce settlement, including paying for half of the family health care costs and showing he has made a "good-faith effort" to find work.

Read the full story in the Chronicle HERE.

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Posted by on May 17, 2012 • Filed under: current events, News • Tagged: , , ,

Congrats to Captain Happy Medic

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Paramedic/firefighter Justin Shorr takes a headquarters gig

From his website:

On Monday I hang up my turnouts and late nights without sleep in exchange for a promotion and a reassignment downtown. That also means giving up that ever so comfortable and vacation friendly schedule.

I was bummed at first until I realized that now the HMjrs are in school and we can’t just pick up and go somewhere whenever we feel like it anymore. When this job at headquarters opened up it seemed too perfect a fit.

Monday I will take over the vacant CQI position that has been retooled ever so slightly to now officially include research. Talk about a perfect chance to mine the data to see what is really going on out there. I have lofty goals for my service, but it’s going to be a long while of playing catch up and learning the new job before I can start going forward with new ideas.

I also have a new political landscape to consider and will be in direct contact and communication with the regulatory agencies, budget writers and vendors that all have a stake in patient care in my jurisdiction.

It’s an amazing opportunity for me both professionally and personally and I am beyond excited to get started.

A Whole New World

Great job!

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on November 11, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, EMS Topics, News, Patient Management, Urban Commander • Tagged: , , ,

What San Francisco “Hoseman Number 2″ taught Bob Lutz

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Leadership Runs Deep

Bob Lutz, the larger-than-life automobile executive and business leader, shared an interesting story to close the chapter titled "Of Management Styles" in his new book Car Guys vs. Bean Counters

While Lutz was in graduate school of business at UC Berkeley, he was a Douglas A-4 pilot in Marine Attack Squadron 133, a reserve unit flying out of Naval Air Station Alameda.

His narrative starts here:

Rumor had it that our new commanding officer was a modest man. He was already older and had received his commission in World War II, on the battlefield. 

He had no higher education. And to top it off, his "civilian" occupation was "Hoseman Number 2" at the San Francisco Fire Department. He had almost no jet time!

The lieutenants and captains in the squadron, all ambitious graduate students at Cal and Stanford, were shocked: the Marine Corps was giving us an uneducated, elderly fireman as a leader.

At the change-of-command ceremony we discovered that our new CO, Art Bauer, was also of modest stature. Truly, an uninspiring sight.

After the formal ceremony, Lt. Col. Art Bauer called the twenty-odd junior officers together and gave the following talk, as I remember it:

Gentlemen, I don't know why the Corps chose me to lead this unit, but chose me they did, and we are all going to make the most of it.

I know my education is far below yours, and my civilian profession, although I'm proud of what I do, is humble.

All of you have recent active-duty experience, and all of you are more skilled pilots and know more about today's Marine Corps than I'll ever know.

So, I'm not going to run this squadron. You each have your squadron roles, be it Intelligence Officer, Operations Officer, Safety Officer, Maintenance Officer or Administration.

I want and expect you to each do your jobs; talk to each other, be a team, and help each other. I'm going to stay out of your way, because you're all more capable than this old officer.

I don't expect you to respect me for my flying ability, because it's not at your level. But I do want and demand your support and respect, not for me, but for the uniform I wear and the rank that's on it.

You, gentlemen, not I, are going to run this squadron, and I don't want you to let me down.

The doubts and secret snickering soon stopped.

Within eighteen months, VMA-133, under command of Art Bauer, was rated number one reserve squadron in the Marine Corps Reserve, with the highest operational readiness, the highest scores in Inspector General inspections, and the highest scores in ordinance delivery.

Those responsible for senior officer selection in the Marine Corps must have been as surprised as  we were that this modest, self-effacing man, of limited skills but the right leadership touch, had attained such a level of success.

Maybe they knew that a leader like Art Bauer was exactly what this squadron of self-assured and cocky aspiring doctors, lawyers, and business leaders needed.

Special: Available Now at 36% Off

 

This message carries value to some of our fire service leaders: Micromanagement is not an effective technique

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on August 15, 2011 • Filed under: aircraft, Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, history, Training & Development, Urban Commander • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

San Francisco 1st alarm shrinks 40%

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San Francisco Local 798 illustrates reduction of first alarm resources since 1960:

The March/April 2011 issue of Mainline was a special budget issue.

Four pages on the reduction in staffing from 1960 to 2011. 

Data rich and another example of how to tell a story in a format understandable to decision-makers and the general public.

Go HERE to access .pdf version of 40 page, 5.28 MB issue.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on July 1, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Firefighting Operations, Funding & Staffing, Urban Commander • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

2nd San Francisco Firefighter Passes

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Reports That His Facepiece Melted

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, FIREFIGHTER ANTHONY VALERIO, 53, became the second firefighter to die from the house fire on Thursday that also killed Lieutenant Vincent Perez  .  Firefighter "Tony" Valerio succumbed to his injuries Saturday morning while in an induced coma.

The San Francisco Sentinel is reporting:

The fire department held a press conference Saturday morning in front of San Francisco General Hospital where Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White, flanked by Mayor Ed Lee and surrounded by an estimated 100 firefighters, announced that veteran firefighter Anthony Valerio had died at 7:40 a.m. that day.

Valerio, 53, was critically injured when a flash-over engulfed him and two other firefighters in flames while they were battling a two-alarm house fire in San Francisco’s Diamond Heights neighborhood Thursday.

The fire had severely damaged his lungs and left him with third degree burns. He spent his last days in a medically induced coma, being rotated every half hour to help alleviate his burns.

Valerio’s brother Mark Valerio told KTVU Friday that his family has been at his brother’s bedside — one of his sisters flew up from Palm Springs and another had arrived from Indio. He also told KTVU that Anthony’s fellow firefighters were a part of the vigil.

"It’s nice to know he has a second family," Mark Valerio said the of the firefighters. "They care for each other really well – a tight family."

Mark Valerio said fire burned so hot at Thursday’s blaze that it melted the mask on his brother’s face.

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Posted by on June 4, 2011 • Filed under: Line of Duty • Tagged: , ,

San Francisco FD Premium Pay, Part 2

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What is $346,000 in excessive pay mean when looking at a $380 Million deficit?

John Coté, from today’s “City Insider” column in the San Francisco Chronicle (SFGate.com):

What budget deficit? Here’s a $346,000 accounting error for the Fire Department

The city paid $346,000 more than it had to during the last fiscal year “due to administrative errors and unofficial pay practices,” according to an audit the city controller released today.

The department used higher-than-required wage rates that inflated vacation and sick-leave hours to calculate final retirement disbursements for some employees, the audit found.

The department’s manual process to record time entries in the payroll system also caused an estimated $44,856 in overpayments to employees, according to the audit, which covered July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010.

City Services Auditor released a 64 page document with 31 recommendations to the fire commission.

You can read FIRE DEPARTMENT PAYROLL AUDIT: Undefined Pay Practices Increased Department Expenditures by clicking HERE.

This is a follow-up to our February 1, 2011 article: Premium $$ Pain.

Our Premium $$ Pain article was based on Peter Jamison’s SF Weekly January 26, 2011 feature: Your Money for Nothing: At a time of huge deficits, S. F. public employees get $70 million in bonuses for work that is often in their job description.

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

Posted by on March 15, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, current events, Fire Rescue Topics, Funding & Staffing, News, Urban Commander • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,